The New Zealand Championship was held in Auckland at the start of the month. Top seed and clear favourite to win was IM Pu Chen Wang of Auckland, having won all the events he has played in last year.
Wang largely relied on his superior tactical ability to get the better of his opponents. This strategy only came unstuck in the fourth round against second seed IM Russell Dive of Wellington, who won their encounter. Wang regained the joint lead in the seventh round by beating the then leader, third seeded IM Anthony Ker of Wellington, while Dive lost to fourth seed FM Ben Hague of Auckland. Wang defeated co-leader and defending champion FM Mike Steadman of Auckland in the following round to take the sole lead. He had to win his final game against Auckland junior William Li (15) to finish in clear first place on 7½/9, just half a point ahead of Dive on 7 points in second followed by Ker, third on 6 points. Wang also won the New Zealand Rapid and Blitz Championship titles held just before the main event to complete a rare treble.
Today's game is penultimate round clash between the leaders that decided the championship. Steadman is White and Wang is Black.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Bf4 Nc6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Bd3 ...
An unambitious way to play the Exchange Slav, allowing Black to exchange his weaker light-squared bishop. Black has already equalised. 7... Bxd3 8.Qxd3 e6 9.Nf3 Be7 10.h3 0-0 11.0-0 a6 12.a3 Na5
The knight heads straight to the beckoning outpost on c4, weakened by the exchange of its bishop defender on d3. 13.Nd2 Rc8 14.b3 …
Depriving Black of the c4 square, but at the same time weakening a3 and c3. 14... Qd7 15.f3 Rfd8 16.g4?! ...
This pawn advance is out of place and only serves to weaken White's king position. Contesting the open file with 16 Rfc1 was best. 16... Ne8 17.Ra2 ...
White dreams of swinging this rook to the kingside. 17... Nd6 18.Bxd6?! ...
This exchange can only be explained if White already thought his position was much worse after the alternative 18 Rc2 Nb5 19 Nxb5 axb5! 20 Rxc8 Rxc8 21 Nb1 b4 22 a4 Qc6 and Black is penetrating down the c-file. But after 23 Rf2 Qc1+ 24 Kg2 The ugly knight on b1 holds things together for now and the game is far from over. Rather than this passive approach, White keeps to his kingside demonstration. 18... Bxd6 19.f4 Qe7 20.Ncb1 Qd7 21.Nc3 Rc7 22.b4?! ...
After some probing, Black settles on the plan to double rooks on the c-file. He is immediately rewarded by a panicky pawn advance providing access to c4 for the patient knight. White could have just got on with 22 f5 and if 22... Rdc8 23 Ne2 keeps the black rooks out for now. 22... Nc4 23.Nb3 b6 24.Nc1 Rdc8 25.N1e2 Be7
Removing the bishop from harms way in the event of 26 e4!? by White. Black could also have opened lines on the queenside by 25... a5! 26 bxa5 bxa5 27 a4 Bb4 28 Nb5 Rc6 with an inevitable incursion on c3. 26.g5 f6 27.gxf6 Bxf6 28.f5 exf5!
White makes his long-awaited f5 advance and Black lays a nasty trap which captures its victim. Safer was 28... Bg5 29 fxe6 Qxe6 leaving the white king so exposed that he will have to exchange queens with 30 Qf5. 29.Rxf5 Nxe3! 30.Rxf6? ...
Taking the bait, presumably in expectation of 30... gxf6? 31 Qxe3 gaining two pieces for rook and pawn. Instead 30 Rf3! Nc4 31 Rf5! regains the pawn on d5 with great complications. Though after 31... Nd6! 32 Rh5 (32 Rxf6?! is insufficient) 32... g6 33 Nxd5 Qf7 34 Nxf6+ Qxf6 35 Re5 Black is superior. 30... Qxh3!
The rude awakening – a piece sacrifice! 31.Rf2 ...
Neither does 31 Nf4 avail a defence: 31... Qg3+ 32 Rg2 Qe1+ 33 Kh2 Qh4+! 34 Nh3 Rxc3 winning lots of material. 32... Rc6
White resigns. The threat is 33... Rg6+ mating and the only plausible defence 33 Nf4 runs into 33... Qg3+ 34 Ng2 Rxc3 threatening the queen and back rank mate.
Wang wins Championship treble
Problem: White to play and mate in five.
The New Zealand Championship was held in Auckland at the start of the month. Top seed and clear favourite to win was IM Pu Chen Wang of Auckland, having won all the events he has played in last year.
Wang largely relied on his superior tactical ability to get the better of his opponents. This strategy only came unstuck in the fourth round against second seed IM Russell Dive of Wellington, who won their encounter. Wang regained the joint lead in the seventh round by beating the then leader, third seeded IM Anthony Ker of Wellington, while Dive lost to fourth seed FM Ben Hague of Auckland. Wang defeated co-leader and defending champion FM Mike Steadman of Auckland in the following round to take the sole lead. He had to win his final game against Auckland junior William Li (15) to finish in clear first place on 7½/9, just half a point ahead of Dive on 7 points in second followed by Ker, third on 6 points. Wang also won the New Zealand Rapid and Blitz Championship titles held just before the main event to complete a rare treble.
Today's game is penultimate round clash between the leaders that decided the championship. Steadman is White and Wang is Black.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 c6
3.Nc3 d5
4.cxd5 cxd5
5.Bf4 Nc6
6.e3 Bf5
7.Bd3 ...
An unambitious way to play the Exchange Slav, allowing Black to exchange his weaker light-squared bishop. Black has already equalised.
7... Bxd3
8.Qxd3 e6
9.Nf3 Be7
10.h3 0-0
11.0-0 a6
12.a3 Na5
The knight heads straight to the beckoning outpost on c4, weakened by the exchange of its bishop defender on d3.
13.Nd2 Rc8
14.b3 …
Depriving Black of the c4 square, but at the same time weakening a3 and c3.
14... Qd7
15.f3 Rfd8
16.g4?! ...
This pawn advance is out of place and only serves to weaken White's king position. Contesting the open file with 16 Rfc1 was best.
16... Ne8
17.Ra2 ...
White dreams of swinging this rook to the kingside.
17... Nd6
18.Bxd6?! ...
This exchange can only be explained if White already thought his position was much worse after the alternative 18 Rc2 Nb5 19 Nxb5 axb5! 20 Rxc8 Rxc8 21 Nb1 b4 22 a4 Qc6 and Black is penetrating down the c-file. But after 23 Rf2 Qc1+ 24 Kg2 The ugly knight on b1 holds things together for now and the game is far from over. Rather than this passive approach, White keeps to his kingside demonstration.
18... Bxd6
19.f4 Qe7
20.Ncb1 Qd7
21.Nc3 Rc7
22.b4?! ...
After some probing, Black settles on the plan to double rooks on the c-file. He is immediately rewarded by a panicky pawn advance providing access to c4 for the patient knight. White could have just got on with 22 f5 and if 22... Rdc8 23 Ne2 keeps the black rooks out for now.
22... Nc4
23.Nb3 b6
24.Nc1 Rdc8
25.N1e2 Be7
Removing the bishop from harms way in the event of 26 e4!? by White. Black could also have opened lines on the queenside by 25... a5! 26 bxa5 bxa5 27 a4 Bb4 28 Nb5 Rc6 with an inevitable incursion on c3.
26.g5 f6
27.gxf6 Bxf6
28.f5 exf5!
White makes his long-awaited f5 advance and Black lays a nasty trap which captures its victim. Safer was 28... Bg5 29 fxe6 Qxe6 leaving the white king so exposed that he will have to exchange queens with 30 Qf5.
29.Rxf5 Nxe3!
30.Rxf6? ...
Taking the bait, presumably in expectation of 30... gxf6? 31 Qxe3 gaining two pieces for rook and pawn. Instead 30 Rf3! Nc4 31 Rf5! regains the pawn on d5 with great complications. Though after 31... Nd6! 32 Rh5 (32 Rxf6?! is insufficient) 32... g6 33 Nxd5 Qf7 34 Nxf6+ Qxf6 35 Re5 Black is superior.
30... Qxh3!
The rude awakening – a piece sacrifice!
31.Rf2 ...
Neither does 31 Nf4 avail a defence: 31... Qg3+ 32 Rg2 Qe1+ 33 Kh2 Qh4+! 34 Nh3 Rxc3 winning lots of material.
32... Rc6
White resigns. The threat is 33... Rg6+ mating and the only plausible defence 33 Nf4 runs into 33... Qg3+ 34 Ng2 Rxc3 threatening the queen and back rank mate.
0-1
Solution: 1 Qf7! Ne5 (1... Rxa8 2 Qf6+ Kg8 3 Be6#; 1... h6 2 Bf5 Qb7 3 Rxb8+ Qxb8 4 Qh7#; 1... Nxd4 2 h6 Nf5 3 Qf8+! Rxf8 4 Rxf8#) 2 Qf6+ Kg8 3 Be6 Nf7 4 Qxf7+ Kh8 5 Qf6#.